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BELLFLOWER — Prosecutor filed attempted murder charges Thursday against two men accused of shooting at sheriff’s deputies during a six-hour standoff in Norwalk, authorities said.
Mason Edwin Devore, 37, of La Habra, and George Contreras, 19, of Los Angeles, appeared in Bellflower Superior Court to be charged in connection with Tuesday’s standoff, which unfolded from about 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. at a mobile home in the 12000 block of Rosecrans Avenue, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s and district attorney’s officials.
In addition to attempted murder, prosecutors also accuse Devore of the special allegation of personally firing a rifle during the crime.
Devore, who is already on federal parole following a previous bank robbery conviction, was being sought in connection with six robberies in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties, Pomona Police Sgt. Patrick O’Malley said. The investigation into those robberies, which took place in Chino, Fullerton. Diamond Bar, Rialto and Pomona, was ongoing.
Police, along with members of the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, showed up at the Rosecrans Avenue mobile home searching for Devore.
“As authorities attempted to arrest Devore at a Norwalk mobile home park, he barricaded himself in a trailer,” district attorney’s officials said in a written statement. “Contreras was with him.”
“During the standoff with sheriff deputies, a series of shots were fired at law enforcement,” according to the district attorney’s office statement. “After several hours, Contreras surrendered to officials. Deputies then fired tear gas
into the trailer, which made Devore leave the home and he was immediately taken into custody.”
Devore was expected to appear in court for an arraignment June 26 in Norwalk Superior Court, while Contreras was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Bellflower Superior Court.
According to county booking records, the suspects were being held in lieu of $500,000 bail each.
District attorney’s officials said prosecutors will request that Devore’s bail amount be increased to $3.2 million, and Contreras’ bail raised to $2 million.

NORWALK >> Authorities Saturday released the name of a 16-year-old Norwalk boy who died following a stabbing earlier in the week.
Micah Maurice Hatten, 16, died at St. Francis Medical Center shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday, according to Los Angeles County coroner and sheriff’s officials. He was fatally wounded about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in a stabbing near Leffingwell Road and Gard Avenue.
An attacker or attackers arrived in a vehicle before the deadly confrontation, sheriff’s Lt. Jason Skeen said. No suspect description was available, and no suspects were in custody.
The wounded teen clung to life at the hospital, and was revived by doctors multiple times after losing vital signs, before ultimately succumbing to his injuries early the following morning, officials said.
Anyone with information was asked to contact detectives from the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.

NORWALK — Two boys and a man suffered minor injuries Wednesday when an attacker opened fire on them with a shotgun at Norwalk Park, authorities said.
The shooting took place about 7:30 p.m. at the park, 13000 Clarkdale Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Jason Skeen said.
Three male victims, described as two juveniles and an adult, suffered “very minor” injuries from the shotgun blast, Skeen said. It was unclear what type of shot the shotgun they were attacked with had been loaded with.
The shooter was believed to have fled the scene in a dark-colored car, Skeen said. It was not known how many attackers took part in the shooting, and the motive was not immediately clear.
A detailed suspect description was not available.

UPDATE — The stabbing victim, identified by coroner’s officials as 16-year-old Micah Maurice Hatten of Norwalk, died from his injuries at St. Francis Medical Center about 10 hours after being stabbed.

A teen was fighting for his life at a hospital Wednesday after he was critically wounded in a stabbing near Norwalk High School, authorities said.
The stabbing took place about 3:30 p.m. at Leffingwell Road and Gard Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Jason Skeen said. Despite the close proximity of the stabbing scene to Norwalk High School, the young victim was not initially believed to be a student of the campus.
A vehicle approached and a suspect or suspect exited before confronting and attacking the victim, Skeen said.
No suspects were in custody as the investigation continued.
Investigators withheld further details of the incident Wednesday evening as they continued gathering clues.
The badly wounded victim lost vital signs and was revived several times as he underwent surgery at an area hospital, Skeen said.

NORWALK — A man was behind bars Saturday on suspicion of lighting two trees and a business on fire in a Norwalk neighborhood, authorities said.
Eli Swifteagle, 33, was arrested on suspicion of arson within an hour of the second of the two arson fires, which occurred early Friday morning, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Eric Smitson said. His city of residence was not available.
He’s accused of using a lighter to ignite a tree in the 12300 block of Front Street about 3:40 a.m., the lieutenant said. The fire spread to a nearby business, scorching a tarp, some pallets and the roof of an outbuilding.
A second arson fire was reported about 6:45 a.m. at Funston Avenue and Foster Road, Smitson said. The second fire remained confined to a tree.
A passer-by spotted Swifteagle lighting the second fire and called deputies, Smitson said. The suspect was found in the area and arrested.
Deputies were looking into the possibility mental health issues played a role in Swifteagle’s alleged behavior.
According to county booking records, Swifteagle was being held in lieu of $75,000 bail at the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles pending his initial court appearance.

NORWALK — A man was shot but expected to survive at a Norwalk park Sunday in the city’s second shooting in 12 hours, authorities said.
Deputies responded to Vista Verde Park about 1:25 p.m. after receiving a report of a shooting, according to Sgt. Jordan of the sheriff’s Norwalk Station. He declined to give his first name.
Deputies found a man in his 20s who had been shot, the sergeant said. He was taken to a hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
Initial reports from the scene indicated the attackers were two Latino men wearing baseball caps. One wore a dark-colored shirt.
Both were seen heading west from the park on Ratliffe Street in a gray Ford Expedition, officials said
No further details were initially available.
The shooting was the second reported in Norwalk Sunday.
Twenty-five-year-old Carlos Aguilar of La Mirada died at the scene of a 1:40 a.m. shooting in the 12000 block of Lowemont Street, sheriff’s and coroner’s officials said. The fatal shooting was believed to be gang-related.

NORWALK >> Homicide detectives are investigating the fatal shooting of a man early Sunday in a residential Norwalk neighborhood, authorities said.
Carlos Aguilar, 25, of La Mirada died following the shooting, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Fred Corral said.
The shooting, which was believed to be gang-related, took place about 1:40 a.m. in the 12000 block of Lowemont Street, just east of Elaine Avenue, officials from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau said in a written statement.
“Sheriff’s Station deputies responded to the area regarding the call of a gunshot victim and discovered the victim on the sidewalk, unresponsive,” according to the sheriff’s department statement.
The man had been shot in the torso, officials said. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
No further information was available. The same neighborhood has been the scene of at least two other shootings in recent months.
A man was wounded in the leg in a shooting just before 2 a.m. Dec. 27, sheriff’s Lt. Cynthia McDaniel said at the time.
A Latino man of about 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds and wearing dark pants and a Los Angeles Dodgers cap approached another man and asked about his gang affiliation before opening fire, the lieutenant said. The shooter was believed to have fled the area in a white, four-door Toyota Corolla with a getaway driver waiting at the wheel.
The wounded man, described as in his mid-20s, was hospitalized with a non-life-threatening injury.
Another man suffered a gunshot wound to his head in a Dec. 21 shooting in the same neighborhood.
Rescuers said the man was fortunate to have survived and escaped major injury in the 8 a.m. attack after a bullet stuck his head and grazed along his skull without penetrating it.
McDaniel said the shot was fired from a passing vehicle containing four attackers described only as male. A motive was not clear.
The area, known to some as the “One Ways,” has long been inhabited by gangs.

NORWALK — Officials have identified a Long Beach man found fatally stabbed in Norwalk last week and announced the arrest of a suspect.
Darin Sivley, 53, died at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood about 3:45 p.m., just over an hour after the stabbing took place in the area of Stubebaker Road and Ferina Street, Los Angeles County sheriff’s and coroner’s officials said.
Detectives Wednesday announced a suspect — 38-year-old William Johnson — has been arrested in connection with the slaying, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said in a written statement. His city of residence was not clear.
Sivley was believed to have been stabbed at a home before riding from the scene on a bicycle and collapsing nearby, authorities said.
“During the investigation, homicide detectives interviewed (Johnson),” according to the sheriff’s department statement. “Suspect Johnson was arrested on the evening of March 6, 2014, booked for murder at Norwalk Station and is being held in lieu of $1,030,000 bail.”
According to county booking records, Johnson was scheduled to appear Monday in Norwalk Superior Court.
An autopsy carried out Wednesday determined Sivley died from stab wounds to his arm, and the death was ruled a homicide.
Further details regarding the alleged slaying, including a motive, were not released.

NORWALK >> Coroner’s officials Sunday released the names of a man and woman from Norwalk who were fatally struck by a pickup truck while walking their bicycles across Rosecrans Avenue early Saturday.
Rosibel Montoya, 20, and Giovanni Xavier Chaidez, 23, died following the collision, which took place just after midnight Saturday along Rosecrans Avenue and Fidel Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Betsy Magdaleno said. She did now know the relationship between the two victims.
They were walking their bikes north across the street when they were struck by a westbound Ford F-150 pickup truck, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Eric Smitson said. The driver subsequently struck several parked cars.
No arrests were initially made, and the cause of the crash remained under investigation, Smitson said.
Further details regarding the circumstances of the incident were not available Sunday.

NORWALK >> A man and woman died early Saturday after they were struck by a pickup truck while walking their bicycles across the street in Norwalk, authorities said.
The collision was first reported at 12:02 a.m. at Rosecrans and Fidel Avenues, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Eric Smitson said.
“Two pedestrians were walking their bicycles north across Rosecrans when a vehicle traveling east on Rosecrans struck the pedestrians,” Smitson said.
After striking the man and woman, the Ford F-150 veered to the side of the road and hit three to four parked cars, Smitson said. The driver, initially described only as a man, suffered no significant injuries in the crash.
Smitson said the driver of the pickup truck remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.
He did not appear to be intoxicated and he was not taken into custody as detectives from the sheriff’s Norwalk Station continued their investigation.
Further details regarding the circumstances of the collision, including whether the pedestrians were within a crosswalk, were not available Saturday morning.

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